Right. I think it best I exit the game. I didn't make a post yesterday because I wanted to at least sleep on it, but it seems the best option for everyone involved. No one is budging on the issue, and recent posts show that it's only going to get worse as the rebellion grows. And, to be clear, I don't fault anyone for sticking to their guns. It would be hypocritical to do so as my departure is prompted by that exact same stubbornness. People want to play the character they want to play, naturally, and while I think most everyone is willing to compromise from time to time in the interest of the game and inter-player diplomacy, there's also a point people know they can't cross; where, once crossed, they're not just bending their PC, but breaking it. Nobody wants to play a character compromised to the point of not actually being their own character anymore. That's perfectly natural. But I'm afraid we've reached that point.

PCs butting heads and disagreeing can be fantastic, and we've gotten more than a few instances of great roleplaying from it. But I have no interest in actively opposing fellow players and that is the inevitable conclusion of our current trajectory in-game. Never mind the unwillingness to concede on the character, I just wouldn't feel comfortable playing in a game where I know the end result would be out-and-out violence. I have no wish for such a scenario so better to leave sooner rather than later. I designed Di as a decent, introspective person specifically to avoid such a situation, keeping in mind the typical pitfalls of a Hellknight PC. Never would have imagined Judge Dredd as an easier fit for the party.

Zek, I really am sorry for any inconvenience this causes you as GM, and even more so because I have greatly enjoyed your game. It's been a wild almost 1-year (!) ride where you have cemented yourself as one of the most dedicated, and certainly the most professional, GM I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. Can I suggest Di simply having died in the fight against Nox? It's recent enough and would smooth over the last events. Thanks for having me, man.

Guys, players, despite the current tribulations I really want you to know that you're all great. I've loved playing with you and you all bring different qualities to the table. I hope you see the game through and wish you all the best.

Gilda, Gregor, watch out for the Geneva Convention. Those Swiss are a wily bunch.

Heck yeah, Matiscio, it's a fantastic spell. Wish I could take it. But that bearded devil looming in the distance has some real respectable spell resistance, and I don't feel like gambling with that fight. Love to hear any other suggestions for spells later down the line though. I suck at picking magic (obviously. Should have had Ray of Frost from lv.1...)

And guys, honestly; listen to yourselves. Broken bone equals death? You're letting the pedantic minutia of the combat rules seep into the logic of the living breathing world. I'm all in favor of taking cues from official rules to better settle situations that fall outside those rules, but not when the result is patently and obviously ridiculous. Di didn't kill anyone because nobody has ever died from a broken arm. Not outside crazy circumstances like blood poisoning, anyway. It's that simple. Notice in your last post, Gregor, how you weren't able to phrase this in any way that made real-world sense. The guy "bleeds out"? How? From all those arteries I didn't touch? If broken bone equals lethal damage always, you may as well argue that Di killed them via breaking their hand, a viable alternative to what she was going for, if you wish. You may as well argue she killed via a broken toe. The argument is quacking crazy.

What's even worse is that if you want to invoke the rules as an argument against me all you're doing is allowing me to do the same and point out feats like Bonebreaker to annul the entire affair. Di was never able to break a bone in the first place because she doesn't have the feat for it. Or the item. Or the other ten whatevers that concern the breaking of bones in PF. Nobody in the entire PF multiverse, no matter their 50+ Str, is able to break a bone unless their 'build' allows for it. Guys, please don't go down the road of rules lawyering. That road leads to nothing but pain. That road leads to arguments that no one can cast Oracle exclusive spells, since these don't exist on the Cleric's spell list and the Oracle officially uses the Cleric's spell list. Combat rules are applicable in combat and have no relation to narrative logic.

Isn't taking the power into our own hands, and inspiring others to vigilantism exactly what we are trying to use to power the rebellion?

Yes. Exactly. Which is why how we conduct ourselves is so important. Because when we reach that tipping point and the people start turning on the government, all those college-aged CCG thugs who thought they were doing the right thing and all those dottari beat-cops who were just trying to do their job are going to lie dead in the streets. And that's going to be our fault.

Also, it seems as if Di has no problem leaving her enemies to be punished by death or disposed of by their order...

Ouch. I must be a sh*it writer because I wrote a 600 word post not even a week ago detailing Di's feelings of guilt over exactly this without it leaving any impact on you. I'll try to do better, man.

Just how is killing the Asmodeans not part of a greater goal?

Because it serves no purpose. Hear me out here: what would be gained by killing these Asmodeans? Nothing really, because they represent only a fraction of Barzillai's total force. His hold on the city remains just as strong and whatever foot soldiers we kill can be replenished. Barzillai's control is a binary thing; he either has enough men to terrorize Kintargo or he doesn't. Us chipping away at grunts is never going to do the trick. Only taking out entire organizations will tip that scale (ALL of the CCG, ALL of the dottari, ALL of the Rack...).

But even then this revolution isn't about numbers. Because the numbers are actually on our side. Barzillai may have regiments, but what we're working towards is having an entire population. And no matter how large his army, everyone else is going to be a bigger number. We win if the win the people, by default. And we're never winning the people if we reveal ourselves as unrepentant murderers. So for now this is actually a war of "taking out one boss at a time", as you say. It's a war of figureheads. Take out the leader of the CCG and that's a vital limb of the government gone. Same with the dottari. And the Rack. And the Asmodean church if it comes to that.

At Evander's prompting Didiana pulled the portrait out of her backpack. There was a slightly awkward pause as she struggled to retrieve the thing; it hadn't been easy showing it into the rucksack due to its size, and pulling it out was proving a greater challenge still. She passed the portrait along. This was not a happy occasion and the sorcerer wore an appropriately dour face. She didn't find this difficult. It had been a dour evening. Not that she had to fake any sympathy. She did genuinely feel for the nobleman.

"I'm sorry, Rexus."

She didn't know what else to say. What else was there to say?

ANYWAY! Level up! Woo! Yes. Bless you, Matiscio.

Ability score bonus goes straight into Cha. I now have a +4 modifier like a proper caster.

+6 hp (+4 class, +2 Con)

+1 BAB

More spells known (Oh joy, a single 2nd lv. spell. And a cantrip. AND I'm using the human FC bonus to get another 1st lv. spell.)

More spells per day (1st level gets another usage, for 7/day)

+1 Will save

+4 skill points (+2 class, +1 Int, +1 human):
--1 Intimidate
--1 Sense Motive
--1 Knowledge (planes)
--1 Spellcraft

+2 background skills
--1 Lore (criminal law)
--1 Perform (violin)

Think that covers it. So, new spells. Let's start with the cantrips. Yes, cantrips in the plural! Sorcs get the option to swap out a spell at lv.4 and while I wish I could use it on Protection from Good (screw you, bloodline), this is expressly verboten. So I'm ditching Daze instead. I think Nox was a sign that Daze has run its course. My two new cantrips are Ray of Frost and Spark.
New 1st lv. spell: Shocking Grasp. 'Cause I'm thinking of retiring the mace too and electricity is the one element devils don't resist.
First 2nd lv. spell: Telekinetic Volley, sort of kind of against my own will. It's a neat spell but I'm honestly only taking it for the hellknight trial, as one part of a set of 2nd lv. spells that could save my hide. And I have to take it now because I'm only going to have two 2nd lv. spells come lv.5 when an armiger is supposed to take the test. Thanks again to Evander for inspiration.

Lastly, Telekinetic Volley needs ammunition, so if possible I'd like to buy sling bullets at the earliest opportunity. 5 ordinary, 5 silver, and 5 cold iron to cover a fair amount of resistances, which should come up to the rather unintuitive price of 1 gp, 1 sp and 5 cp.

You are running into a singular issue in your assessment on the nature of thoughts on killing in the PF world (or most gaming worlds in general). Gaming worlds are much more dangerous than our own. [...] Death and killing are part and parcel of their world.

I agree. I agree so much that when I wrote Di's little breakdown I specifically called this out, that the world is an evil place, as a justification for the Hellknights' cruelty. But she has that perspective via Torrent indoctrination and I question whether this view of the world you describe is actually prevalent among the ordinary citizenry. Yes, in frontier towns or even a frontier nation like Varisa the average person would almost certainly be more accustomed to the idea of death and killing as a necessity. Living next to goblins will do that. However, we're not in that frontier/wildernessy setting; Kintargo is one of the larger cities of the nation and is even described as modern, liberal and artsy in the player's guide. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the average Kintargan's opinion on death and murder would be more akin to that of your average contemporary Westerner.

But more importantly when it comes to Di is that this idea of civility, of decency, is the entire point of a lawful society. The world is, as you say, a bad bad place, and civilizations represent small islands of calm in a sea of violence. The purpose of the law is to allow the people a reprieve from the misery and facilitate the option of a decent life, one without the 'kill-or-be-killed' mindset or the debased animalism of the outside world. I think the Order of the Nail even specializes in this. A lawful society elevates humanity. It allows people to live with dignity and even a higher purpose. Drop a human being into the wild and it will devolve in order to meet the harsh expectations of nature. This is what Di fights for. The law being there to ensure civility is the entire point. Which is why seeing Gregor debase himself for that same law is the height of irony. That's why this hits her so hard. Gregor being a barbarian to ensure civilization breaks the entire system apart.

I know no one asked but this is also why I love Hellknights. They are such utter hypocrites. Go ahead, guys. Burn down the world in order to ensure justice. That'll solve everything, you absolute fu*kwits. Love me some irony. Of course, this is also what Di is slowly starting to realize.

I'm afraid we're just going to have to disagree on the alignments though. Which is okay seeing as an estimated entire 2% of the internet is nothing but forum arguments on the alignments. The quotation you bring up only confirms that Detect Evil does sense intent, and every use of Smite Evil is hardly a dialog between the paladin and deity where the latter gives the thumbs-up to every goblins squashed. The entire point of paladins is that they are mortal representatives of a higher power, invested and trusted with abilities that they themselves have to choose how to use responsibly. If this wasn't the case, then there would be no such thing as a fallen paladin.

Didiana walked up to Gregor. When exactly the two pieces of flint had replaced the sorcerer's eyes was difficult to say, but she walked up to him without ever breaking her stare. He was only slightly taller than her as they stood there next to each other. No difficulties looking into each other's eyes. Didiana removed her helmet. And her anger and weariness stood out all the clearer because of her great beauty, like cuts in a wedding dress.

Then she crouched. She broke eye contract to place her metal headgear up against the arm of an Asmodean, the nearest one to them still breathing. With the helmet thusly carefully balanced she rose up to her full height again, and resumed glaring at the ex-dottari.

Then she stomped.

*CRACK*

The unconscious diabolist's breath caught in his throat. The mind was out cold but the body was all too aware that it was under attack again. The Asmodean's right arm was bent at a slightly unnatural angle, starting right underneath the armiger's helmet. Didiana gave it another stomp for good measure. It gave the sound of crackling dry branches and a whimper escaped her victim's mouth.

"Now what?" she asked Gregor. Her eyes had never left him.

"Still going to kill him? Why? Because he's a 'threat to innocents'? Not like that he isn't. He's neutralized. And don't tell me that the church will fix him up straight away because we both know that isn't true. Cuts and scuffs are one thing, but broken bones are a whole different matter. They require strong magic. Expensive magic. And the church isn't going to spend several hundred gold pieces on every grunt they employ."

She removed her foot from the unfortunate Asmodean's shattered arm. He would be in for a whole lot of pain later, but for now he was blissfully comatose.

"So if you're not going to kill him to protect the people, then why are you going to kill him? Go on, say it. I want to hear you say it again. I want to hear you be just that arrogant again. 'For justice.' You're going to kill in the name of justice. It's a strong word, isn't it?"

Didiana's frown deepened.

"And yes, since you asked. I do think you enjoy it. I think it makes you feel strong. I think it makes you feel powerful. I think it gives you purpose. No, I know that. It's how you were able to turn your back on your family. Because you didn't need them. You had your law and that was enough. It was painful but it was enough to sustain you. 'Justice.' It justifies you. It allows you to kill. And the difference between you and any other murderer is that you're right. Of course. Ward, there is nothing more dangerous than a man who believes he is right."

Somewhere between the words she had the wherewithal to wonder: was at least some small part of this actually her venting her frustrations with something more personal? The self-righteousness. The end justifying the means. Was she raging against the Hellknights themselves? Yeah. Maybe she was. A little.

"You speak as if you've made sacrifices. As if your willingness to do whatever it takes ennobles you rather than lessens you. You are not justice, you stupid man. You are not an agent of the law. You are not even dottari. You are just Gregor Ward. And the death penalty is not yours to wield however you wish. If this is how little respect you have for life, then you never deserved to be dottari."

She didn't want this. She didn't want her friend to be like this. It was meant to be the other way around.

"How dare you speak to me about sacrifice? I... I sacrificed my soul for the Law." Rather literally, as the sorcerer had joined the Torrent in a bid to save her soul from Hell. "But I am never going to sacrifice the soul of the Law. I will never abandon the purpose behind the Law. I am never going to abandon the sanctity of life. I will never allow myself to become that. I will never allow 'justice' to become an empty word."

This is all just a little too perfect. The infernal attributes she hates so much in herself she now finds in Gregor.

I really do appreciate a well thought-out long-form response, I really do, but as this is actually a few different debates rolled into one I'm going to divide these up for ease of reading. I apologize in advance if I misrepresent any of your arguments, Gregor.

"Evil is an palpable force in the PF universe. Those who follow evil gods are quantifiably evil."

I'm entirely with you on the nature of good and evil in PF. That is well established in the lore and beyond debate. In fact, it's my absolutely favorite aspect of the setting (and 2nd ed D&D's Planescape where PF pilfered it from, I think): the alignment table is not just a codification of morals for ease of play; it is literally the structure of the multiverse. Good and evil, law and chaos are quantifiable 'things' in this setting that make up the literal building blocks of entire planes of reality. In the afterlife of this setting morals are not at all a matter of perspective or up for debate, as we might be familiar with in real life, but very much set in stone. Goodness is Good and evil is Evil, capitalized proper nouns.

But we're not in the outer planes and neither are we dealing with angels and demons. And this matters because the material plane and human beings work completely differently (note that I'm using 'human' here as short hand for all the player races). Yes, you're right, Di has gone on diatribes about this on both devils and tieflings. But please don't conflate my own opinions with that of my character, and be especially wary with mistaking either for the truth. Di's an idiot. And she's completely wrong about tieflings. They, and (this is the important bit) every other mortal race, have a floating alignment, completely unlike the outsiders like devils or the scrivenite. The average person in PF/D&D is just that: a person. They're not a static block of statistics, least of all when it comes to alignment. That'd be outsiders, who are literally made up of manifested Good/Evil/Law/Chaos. A devil cannot do good because evil is what he is, and he (I tire of using the word 'literally') does not contain the capacity for good. That's not how people work. Obviously. Not even Asmodeans.

If you want mechanical proof of this, consider good ol' Detect Evil which specifically calls out this floating alignment of mortals. "Creatures with actively evil intents count as evil creatures for the purpose of this spell." Human beings are not that simple. The good caretaker of an orphanage who in a rage murders the nurse secretly abusing the children counts as evil. When Mother Theresa is jealous of a younger woman who doesn't look like a prune, she counts as evil. Likewise, it's entirely possible, likely even, that a number of Asmodeans are serving the church out of fear. It's Cheliax after all. More disconcertingly, some Asmodeans may genuinely be trying to help people. Don't knock Asmodeus. Gods are vast entities, impossibly old, and their interests expansive. Asmodeus isn't just D&D Satan; his concerns also include peaceful order, rightful rule, and civilization. Could someone serving him actually be a decent bloke just trying to make the best of a bad situation? Absolutely. Is this person probably misguided? Absolutely! But what this means is that not every Asmodean do what they do because they just like kicking puppies that gosh-darn much, and us killing any random worshiper because they are Asmodean is not justified. Alignments are complex. Alignments change. It's the entire reason outsiders are warring over the material plane and the souls that reside there: because they know they can influence them one way or the other. But you knew that already, of course, as you yourself referenced the changing alignments of our own PCs.

What this comes down to is that reducing any character, even an NPC, even an Asmodean, down to a simplistic understanding of their general alignment is doing an incredible disservice to them, devalues the worth of a human life, and infantalizes the setting and the stories that can be told in it.

"Why shouldn't we finalize fights? Why shouldn't we kill those ready to kill others? What is the difference between killing an active enemy and killing an incapacitated enemy?"

From a purely logical perspective I, again, largely agree with your general idea, but neither I nor Di are purely logical; we're both human and take an illogical/emotional/human perspective. You question why Di, even with her LG alignment, has trouble killing her sworn enemies given her hellknight aspirations. The short answer is (as I hope has become obvious by now) that Di is the worst hellknight ever. Just awful. The longer answer is that Di is entirely human and human beings, despite our less than stellar reputation, are not killers. The average person has to be pushed to the extreme before they are willing to take a life. Consider the research on the act of killing (darkly amusingly dubbed killology), and the most famous statistic derived from the study, that as many as 80% of soldiers deliberately miss their target when shooting. People are not wired for killing; we have to be pushed, bullied, manipulated and coerced to ridiculous degrees before we are willing to take a life, and even then the consequences are typically extreme guilt, PTSD, psychological trauma and more. This is somewhat of a Buddhist perspective but the act of murder shouldn't just be avoided for its moral implications, but because of the enormous harm it does to the murderer. People avoid killing because of the damage it does to themselves. Is that selfish of everyone put into the awful position of having to kill for a cause, including Di? Perhaps. Di certainly thinks so, and wrestles with that too. But is it understandable? I should hope so!

But, obviously, humans do kill humans. Extensively. And as I said earlier, I am not at all suggesting that we play as pacifists; the very idea of a bloodless rebellion is ludicrous. The question is one of justification. Because that is the one circumstance where a person can kill without (some of) the mental repercussions of murder: when they can justify the violence. Put a hundred powder kegs under the dottari headquarters and tell Di that blowing these poor fools sky-high is absolutely necessary for the rebellion to succeed, and she'll do it. Without hesitation. I'll write some 2000 word posts about her ensuing guilt-trip which you are all free to skip (please do, they're just fluff), but she'll do it. The key is in the justification. And the justification for killing a bunch of incapacitated ex-combatants just isn't there. Not for any decent human being.

If an enemy attacks you and you kill them in the act of defending yourself, that's justified.
If you attack an enemy and find that you will have to kill them in order to achieve a greater goal, that's justified.
If an enemy is knocked out and no threat to you? If your only reasoning for wishing them dead is that they might do something bad in the future? No, that's not justified. Of course it isn't. That's you being the aggressor. That's you ending a life based on if, maybe and perhaps. This is what Minority Report was about. This is what racial profiling in law enforcement is about. Killing people for what they might do in the future is completely beyond the pale. The game mechanics of dying/bleeding out don't even factor into it; unless I've specifically asked, I always assumed that every opponent Di has taken out died. All we can do is punish acts already committed, which is precisely Di's problem. Her outlet for just retribution and a safer environment, the Kintargo justice system, is gone. Without it all that's left is going full-on vigilante 'judge, jury, executioner', the lawless ramifications of which are staggering. Were we to take that power into our own hands, meting out the punishment we would otherwise want the state to oversee, we would also have to accept the vigilantism inspired in others by us and any wrongful death that came about as a result of our actions. And on the subject on wrongful deaths, I remind you that Azvernathi actually indicated that the Asmodeans here were not the ones to kill the Victocoras or the Irorans. Dealing out lethal justice is a damn slippery slope and not something to be taken lightly.

"Leaving enemies alive does not help, and may even harm, the PR of the Silver Ravens."

Your arguments are perfectly sound and I feel that this is the topic where we are most likely to agree. Please note, though, that when I wrote that avoiding deaths would be beneficial for the Ravens' reputation, I meant this in the very general sense, not specifically in relation to the Fantasmagorium/Monastery. While I'm all in favor of 'proving' the government's guilt in killing the Victocoras through... let's say an exclusive interview with a certain brave Asmodean whistleblower, I don't see much reason to divulge anything else that happened at the monastery. After all, the Irorans were a secret cult that the public didn't even know about. Instead, consider this: what is the impact of a single death in a community the size of Kintargo? Again, I think social politics become much clearer when we stop thinking of the baddies as stat blocks. Let's take a random CCG thug. How old is he, early twenties or so? That makes sense, right? Young, pissed off at the world, can't find a job in the poor economy, joins up with similar-minded people in this activist group. Finally feels like he belongs somewhere. We kill this guy. Who does this impact? Are both his parents still alive? Let's say yes, given the relatively high development of the city. Does he have siblings? Likely, given the time period. Do those siblings have spouses? Children? Did our victim have a girlfriend? Do you see what I'm getting at? That's 12 to 30 people who will never support the Silver Ravens because we murdered their son/brother/nephew/uncle/partner. Multiply that over our entire adventuring career from lv.1 to whatever and it becomes clear that we are never winning Kintargo by killing our every opponent. Not in a city of 12,000. The impact of a death is so staggeringly more detrimental than any slander whatever fool we leave alive might spread could ever be. And that's without even considering the positive aspects of positioning ourselves as a moral opposite to Barzillai, like Evander suggested.

I could also add that I firmly believe that the greatest thing Di has done yet for the Ravens was saving that one CCG thug we attacked in front of a crowd of people. That's the stuff that's going to win Kintargo.

----------

Again, I appreciate that we are able to debate this, and even that this might all sound a bit rich coming from the player behind the supposed hellknight in training. And heck, there may come a time when Di is totally with Gregor on the murder bandwagon. She's a developing character and given the Torrent's blessing and an actual rank as hellknight, I think she would feel a whole lot more comfortable precisely as that judge-jury-executioner type I'm otherwise speaking against. Please don't take any of this as me trying to dictate how you, or anyone else, plays. I have neither the will nor the power. You can and should play Gregor exactly as you wish. Murder away if you must. Just don't deny that he's being a near-sociopathic bastard in doing so.

At any rate, this is further complicated by the general murder hobo'ness of most APs, particularly urban ones...

See, that's the thing though: I've rarely come across any game where that murder hobo mentality was less applicable. I get it. I really do. Leaving enemies alive is an uncomfortable loose thread, in both story and game terms, and pondering the justification of killing every jumble of numbers that make up a random baddie is just annoying. I get that. I share that. I'm not advocating that we opt for using nothing but nonlethal going forward (especially as Di would suck at that what with how most spells work...)

I'm just advocating for some awareness. Because we're not murder hobos. We're perfectly ordinary (and not so ordinary) citizens who had adventure thrust upon them rather than the other way round. We're not adventurers who chose to go out on a daring mission. Our enemies aren't goblins and trolls, barely sapient monsters whose deaths no one will even notice. Our opponents are people. Fellow citizens. Just ideologically opposed people. And hell, sometimes not even that. I'm guessing that the police force in the city isn't too happy about the new lord-mayor. They're most likely just some poor schmucks put into the impossible position of either obeying their new boss or losing... well, their livelihood at best and their life at worst. Hell, consider Kintargo's population of not even 12,000 and how insular society is at this developmental stage. In all likelihood, we just killed a couple of our own third cousins. We're not murder hobos, we're not in a murder hobo setting and we can't justify playing as murder hobos. Not if we want to view our own PCs as heroes or even anything close to Good.

Which brings me again to Gregor's suggestion. Jesus Christ. Walking among already downed opponents and putting a bullet into their unconscious brains? Do I really need to explain how wrong that is? Entire war tribunals have been created to prosecute sh*t like that. International treaties have been written for how universally vile such an act is. That's not murder hobo behavior; that's unrepentant warlord behavior. That's BBEG behavior. That's Barzillai Thrune. That's Evil with a capital E. Di's response earlier? I need you to understand that was the mildest response I could manage. If I wasn't compromising Di in the interest of the game, I think she would have up and left the Ravens.

Please understand that I don't want to dictate how anyone plays the game. God no. That's a doomed endeavor if there ever was one. And as Di herself says in-game, killing our opponents is necessary and even justified under the right circumstances. I don't think we should be too harsh on ourselves. Some of our opponents are proper monsters. I don't expect everyone to start writing overly long, boring diatribes about their characters wrestling with guilt, like myself. The only reason I do that for Di is because she's an emotional idiot with a pre-established coffer of psychological issues that is compounding the problem. Us killing others is inevitable and perfectly fine. We just need to keep in mind that a fair amount of our opponents are just human beings with either no choice in the matter (the dottari), who genuinely believe they're doing the right thing (the CCG), or misguided and exploited mooks (Asmodean nobodies).

But if nothing else we should keep our murdering to a minimum for the PR. I mean, it's only a matter of time before Barzillai starts painting us as unhinged terrorists out to destroy Kintargo. Why give him any fodder?

First of all, don’t let anything I post below keep you from continuing your current conversation. I love it...

I don't love it. What's being said is plain LE and grounds to dissolve the party.

It was hearing Gilda offer some half-hearted agreement with Gregor's plea for wanton murder. That's what did it. That's what let the outrage win out on the distress. Didiana exploded.

"Where do you get off?" she whispered because true anger wasn't fuming and loud; true anger was cold and terrible.

"We're standing knee-deep in death and misery, surrounded by the dead and dying. The blood on our shirts hasn't dried yet. We've put our lives on the line in the second massacre this place has seen in as many weeks. We still have to tell a friend that his parents are dead, were reanimated, and then killed again by us! And you say you want more?! The battle is won. The killing is done. Victor and loser has been decided. It's over. We get to walk away alive and with some small achievement at that. And you have the gall to berate your compatriots for wanting a reprieve from the carnage? How dare you?"

The armiger's face was frustrated and twisted, but while her voice carried her ire all that could be read in her expression was the exasperation. She couldn't believe what was being suggested. She couldn't believe she had to explain this.

"This is a civil war! We're fighting for a cause and losing doesn't just mean our lives; it likely means the lives of everyone we love. Every family member tortured for information, every friend rounded up on suspicion of dissent. That is what rebellion means. And you dare to question our dedication? For what?! For not wanting to kill some grunts? Foot soldiers? Already incapacitated misguided dumb children? Excuse me for wanting to preserve some human gods-damned dignity! Does that constitute weakness in your mind? That I carry every death I cause with me? That I can't sleep at night? That I'm scared, really bloody scared, that with every kill I'm deadening something inside myself until... until I can't tell why I ever hesitated killing."

She stared at Gregor.

"Just like you. Until I'm exactly as cold as you."

Anger. Vexation. And something new. A profound sadness encroached upon the sorcerer's righteous indignation.

"The Silver Ravens will not be an execution squad. We fight for a reason and we kill when we must. Clean hands..." Her mouth twisted. "Nox had to die because she was the fu*king right hand of the opposition! She had to die for there to be a revolution! These nobodies - ?"

The armiger indicated the bodies littering the floor.

"There's no reason to kill them beyond putting a small dent in Barzillai's resources. That's not justice. That's not retribution. That's not even peacekeeping. That's pragmatism! That's jumping to whatever solution is most convenient! It's laziness and cowardice! You accuse us of not taking responsibility?!"

"And you!" she said turning to Gilda.

"We're not advertising how the Silver Ravens will murder anyone opposed to us. We're not winning over the people by declaring ourselves psychopaths. And even if we were to issue such a warning, using that to dismiss our own culpability in murder, as if our every opponent just ran into our fu*king swords of their own accord, is as ridiculous as it is shameful. And don't let me ever hear you talk as if you know a single thing about the hellknights ever again! Take some damn responsibility for every death you cause."

Gregor, Gilda, you are both more hellknight than Di and I mean that with all sincerity.

"I hope you mean 'you' collectively, as I did not make the decision alone. Besides, you of all people should know there is no 'spell hand'. Either hand is capable, and he is actually more hindered by his lack of an unholy symbol than a broken hand."

May want to reread the post. Di was talking to Evander, not Gregor. Evander was the one who promised Azvernathi that he could walk. I checked. And no such thing as a spell hand? Come on now. If both history and modern martial arts tell us of a preferred sword arm, and we know the vast majority of the planet aren't even able to draw stick figures, let alone write, with their left hand, then of course there is such a thing as having a preferred hand for complex magical gestures. Get outta here.

Didiana stared wide-eyed at her long-time comrade in arms. Was she hearing this right? 'Why don't we do unto them as they do unto us?' 'Why is letting someone live more morally sound than killing them?' What? What? The sorcerer had always known Gregor to be particular, but she could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth now. Had Gregor the civilized man been cleverly switched with an orc savage while she wasn't looking? Did she have to explain to a grown man why killing others was wrong?

And yet beneath the cover of incredulity one emotion surged to the forefront: rage. How dare he? Clean hands? She was still wet from drowning another human being. How dare he criticize her for not leaping at the opportunity to kill these... these... misguided nobodies? For wanting to preserve her sanity? Her humanity?

Just writing to sort out that first part and to form some sort of preliminary response 'cause hoo boy... that is some party shattering stuff.

"Let's leave the Asmodeans be - they aren't a threat right now. No doubt there is magic that would allow them to tell what they know even if we killed them, unless we took the time to cut out their tongues or otherwise render them incapable of speech. As for Azvernathi, we said we would spare him and allow him to keep his mace."

"No, you said we'd spare him," Didiana replied surly.

"I say we at least break his spell-hand. Make sure he can't hurt anyone else for the foreseeable future..."

She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. The sorcerer knew she was just being contrarian for the sake of it, like a sullen child. She really was in a bad mood. Azvernathi was most likely, as Evander said, largely harmless in his current state and she didn't give a toss as to what happened to him. Besides, she had already broken the fool's holy symbol earlier and he'd probably be hard pressed to get a new one from the church he betrayed.

The armiger let out a sigh and crossed her arms. "Whatever," she said, relenting before anyone could even begin to argue her point.

As for Gregor's suggestion - Cayden's taint, no. Didiana had done all the killing she could handle for now. Killing in self-defense or for some grander purpose she could justify, but murdering a bunch of nameless mooks, who posed little threat to the Ravens even if accepted back into the church, in their sleep? No, her moral code wasn't surviving that. Hell, she might not survive that.

Yup, in favor of pretty much just leaving. Came here for entire organization of Irorans, found a Jaya. We done. That said we should probably give everything another once-over before leaving. Just to make sure we haven't missed something. I'd be interested to know if there was something specific the Asmodeans were looking into here.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Would the spell Read Magic be applicable here, Zek? It seems intended very specifically for deciphering magical writing.

Didiana had to look away at Jaya's chaste little peck to Matiscio. Even in her current mood (positively lugubrious), watching a teammate display any affection struck her as... invasive somehow. Vulgar even. Still, she was happy for them, both of them, in her own way. Matiscio deserved every happiness in the world as far as the sorcerer was concerned. He was a good man. She just hoped that he wouldn't let this get in the way of the job... Romance had a way of distracting one from what was truly important. For a brief moment Evander's dalliances with that tiefling tart came to Didiana's mind, very unbidden, which didn't help her mood one bit.

"Are we about ready to pack it?"

"Yes, please."

The sorcerer was tired, spent in just about every way there was. She wanted to sleep, if nothing else than to escape her own stupid thoughts for a few hours. She hefted some of their forcibly won loot, a slightly larger share than what might be usual given that Matiscio's arms were otherwise occupied, and prepared to leave. Of course, she didn't get far before being reminded of one unresolved issue remaining at the Many-Steps Monastery. It was hard to miss; Lout was huge.

Didiana let her face slump into her palm. She couldn't deal with this right now. And yet she knew she must. The enormous simpleton was still under her spell and would remain so for the next few hours. He was her responsibility. To make matters worse she felt genuinely sorry for the poor bastard. She could only guess that the half-ogre was used and abused as muscle either within the local church or by Barzillai himself. Gods only knew what they would do to the oaf when they discovered that he had let the Ravens go about their business unobstructed. The lord-mayor had proven to be rather torture-happy and the church was no better. The merciful thing might be killing him. But if the group attacked him the spell would break and he would defend himself. Disregarding her own state, Didiana didn't think anyone in the team was up for fighting a betrayed half-ogre right now...
Conversely, allowing him to be found meant that he would be questioned. But then, what did he have to tell? Nothing that could really hurt the Ravens. Their identities were all safe underneath Evander's disguises (or in her case a helmet) and... and...

Did Lout really deserve her mercy? The armiger paused. The creature was no doubt compelled into the Asmodeans' service; he was too simpleminded to devote himself to any higher cause. The true blame lay with the church who wielded this half-wit like an instrument. But so what? Hellknight philosophy wasn't concerned with morality; it only cared for practical results. And the practical outcome of this ogre bastard's existence was suffering and injustice. So what if he served evil unwittingly? Intent was trivial. Only action mattered. And the Lout had undoubtedly done awful things. The maxims of the Hellknights came to her.

NONE ARE INNOCENT.

No. Nobody was really innocent. Some not even from birth.

"The devil-lady is resting, Lout. You may rest too."

Didiana left.

Breathe deeply before the plunge.

The words couldn't help but come to her as she stood there, in the shallow water, holding the struggling Nox beneath the stream. Gods only knew whatever power still resided in the crushed shell that remained of the woman, but it was strong; even with her head caved in it held on and struggled. No, not gods. Didiana thought she knew what Nox was now.

Breathe deeply before the plunge.

A bloody fool, that was what she was. She was neither tiefling nor half-fiend. No, she was even worse. At least those damnable creatures didn't choose to be what they were, however small a consolation that was. Nox had entered an infernal contract, willingly. She had bargained for her power, most likely sold her soul for it. The damn fool. The damned fool. Didiana's face hardened further as she tightened her grip on blurred form beneath her, keenly aware that she wasn't just killing the woman; she was sending another person to Hell.

Breathe deeply before the plunge.

Why did you do it, the sorcerer wondered. She must have known, Nox must have known that this is how it would end. Not here, certainly, not under these circumstances, but she must have known that her final reward waited for her in the Pit. An eternity of suffering with the only relief being joining your torturers. Nothing was worth that. Didiana knew. Didiana knew nothing was worth that because she had based her entire life on avoiding that damnation. Beneath the militaristic fanaticism of the hellknight, beneath the adherence to order, that had always been what drove Didiana. What sent her fleeing. That fear. And in the moment before she lost consciousness, with a cold blade sitting where warm flesh should be, when she thought she was going to die, Nox had reminded her of that fear.

Breathe deeply before the plunge.

The broken woman sent sprays of water onto the armiger's face. Didiana didn't even blink. Her blank stare wasn't looking at Nox anymore. This had been Didiana's first near-death experience and she wasn't happy about it. She had been trying to compensate for her cursed blood for as long as she could remember, but what was the point of it all if it couldn't even buy you some peace of mind? Because when Nox cut her up, all she could think of was the eternity of pain that awaited her. She had been afraid. She was afraid. The maxim of the Torrent was both warning and guidance. It cautioned one to be prepared and ready for whatever one's actions led to. Didiana wasn't ready.

Breathe deeply before the plunge.

Perhaps it was simply that same fear, eternal damnation, that animated Nox right now. The sorcerer wondered, was Nox a mother? Was she leaving a lineage behind? 100 years from now would there be some poor brat who would have to pay for their great-grandmother's foolishness? Someone who would be bound by whatever magical vestige remained of that infernal pact? Who woke up one day finding that they could invade others' minds? Someone who would realize that their soul was tainted? Perhaps Didiana should find out... Perhaps Didiana should do the poor bastard a favor and end it all before...

Nox wasn't struggling anymore. She hadn't even noticed. The armiger let her stiff hands relax and righted herself, somewhat awkwardly. She wasn't feeling well. She wasn't feeling well at all. And seeing the corpse beneath her dissolve into dust only to be carried away by the gentle stream, like so many damned souls down the river Styx, didn't help. She looked on in horror at this perfect punctuation to her hideous thoughts on damnation, blood destiny and infinite torment. Didiana stepped out of the water. She looked awful. Her clothes were burnt and blackened, her skin was bruised and blue, she was covered in her own blood, and she felt every bit the mess she looked.

Sorry for the post that advances nothing, but I had to get this out. Hopefully gonna post something useful later.

"GASP!"

Poor Gilda nearly caught a fist to the face upon reviving the armiger, as Didiana returned to the world of the living flailing her arms in a mild panic. It was hardly the reward the shaman deserved, but this could perhaps be forgiven considering the last thing the sorcerer could remember was seeing the bad end of a polearm where her sternum should be. That and some dream-like recollections about figures in flames out for her soul...

"Cough, cough! Wha... Wh-where is she? Where is Nox?"

Without so much as a thanks to Gilda, Didiana rose to her feet gingerly and obviously disoriented. One didn't recover from a punctured lung that easily, even with magic. That said, she calmed down considerably upon spotting the fiend-woman down and out at the feet of the Y-chromosomal trio of the Ravens. She was further relieved to see that everyone was alive and well, including Jaya. And herself.

The armiger let out a sigh of relief. And then tensed again in shame at letting herself nearly get killed, leaving the others to fight without her. Shame, and something else... Something she would have to deal with later.

"Damn... Nicely done, guys."

"Oh, and thanks, Ms Grabapple," she added, finally.

"Someone want to get a torch and see if burning her will keep her from healing? Or maybe we could try pouring acid on her and see if that works."

"What? Can't we just drown the bitc...?"

Didiana's suggestion was interrupted by the wet crackly squelch of Gregor's morningstar introducing Nox's brain to fresh air.

Or that. That might work too.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the sorcerer had no qualms with ending the she-devil's miserable life for good. Even without the infernal influence, Nox had more than deserved to meet her end. Still though; Didiana was curious to understand the nature behind her diabolic powers.

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Nox saying that she was "blessed" by Barzillai makes we wonder if there's something to learn here.

This is something I've always liked about Wolverine in the comics. The guy can literally survive a nuke, but is susceptible to something as mundane as death by drowning. If Nox's head starts piecing itself together somehow, then I think Di tries holding her beneath the water, Zek.

It would, but you can't do a grapple as an AoO.

Evander, Matiscio, feel free to tell the peanut gallery that is me to shut up, but do consider that you can 'disarm' Nox of Jaya with your AoO. I realize it's a though choice between that and interrupting whatever bullsh*t she's about to cast, but it's an option to consider. Imma go back to gurgling blood now.

And I don't owe you nuthin', Gilda! I already stabilized! Di is a strong independent woman who don't need no shaman!

Death saving throw: 1d20 + 2 - 8 ⇒ (17) + 2 - 8 = 11
Screw you, Nox. Screw you.

Might be an idea to spread out, guys. I'm guessing that was Cleave she used just now.

Oh joy. I've won an argument over a silly rule I don't care for. And I don't think I'll be trying to maneuver Jaya again... Not with Nox and Di right next to each other in initiative.

"Aggh!"

Pain did funny things to a person's mind. For example, the first thing that leapt to Didiana's mind the instant Nox's blade cut a deep gash across her back was her brief stint with self-flagellation. Matiscio had brought an end to that practice when he showed the armiger that her mores did more harm to her psyche than to her flesh, but right now she wondered. Someone not accustomed to pain might feel panic at this moment. The searing agony of a fresh wound. The cold seeping into the body to replace the blood flowing out. Fear was the natural, appropriate response.

But Didiana? Didiana felt somehow invigorated. She had harbored a lot of doubt about this confrontation, what with the depletion of her arcane powers. The woman they faced was one of the lord-mayor's top lieutenants. Yet now, as she gritted her teeth in pain, all of that doubt dissipated. What was she doing? Had she really allowed her spells to define her? Her magic was supposed to be a tool, not a crutch. Didiana Drost without magic was not lesser somehow. She was a hellknight, with or without magic. And to the hellknight, pain was focus. That was what the reckonings were for. Pain merely reinforced a hellknight's duty. And the armiger knew what her duty was. Nox had to fall and fall she would. That was all.

"By struggling so much, you only delay your deaths. Your defeat is inevitable. You cannot kill me."

The sorcerer turned around at the fiend-woman's threat. She had fire in her eyes. Was that supposed to intimidate me? she wondered. Didiana had heard worse from her instructors for missing training by seconds. Speaking with an authority that would make any Torrent trainer proud, she showed Nox how it was done.

"Kill you? Tell me something, Nox. I'm curious; how does your regeneration work? Does it only close wounds? What if you were to lose a finger? Would it grow back? What if I cut off your arm? How about when I tear out your canines and use them to puncture your eyes? What grows back first? The teeth? The corneas? Do you not know? Should we find out?"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24

Intimidate to get her shaken (rules for which are here) and another 5 ft step.

So while there is definitely ambiguity, that ambiguity does not require the scroll to have been made by a bard, just an arcane spellcaster.

But that's exactly it. You're right on all accounts, but Silence is only available to one single arcane caster: the bard. It's not on the Wiz/Sorc spell list. If Gregor used the scroll, then the spell inscribed must have been arcane. And if this was an arcane Silence spell, then it could only have been inscribed by a bard. Thusly, the four rounds.

I'm not even sure what I'm arguing for here. It's a cumbersome system that, as written, absolutely requires every single scroll in any given game to have an entire stat block detailing who made it, the caster level of the maker and their ability scores, but that is just not done. And I understand why. That'd be insane and drive Paizo's page count up like crazy, but that's the system. To my knowledge, even PFS who do everything as RAW as possible just let this slide, like everyone else. Also, Evander's attack of 20 just missed! Lordy lord...

EDIT: just edited my entire post for Evander who posted literally seconds before me. :D

Didiana saw Evander's gestures towards the unconscious Jaya and still had enough of her wits about her to understand his intent. Nox's position with her back to the wall was both too advantageous tactically, and especially dangerous should she threaten to kill her hostage right next to her. Well aware that she was unlikely to come away from this unscathed, the sorcerer leapt over to Jaya, took a hold of her shirt collar and retreated.

Drag maneuver? I dunno if this is necessary against an unconscious target: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

5 ft step to Jaya and standard to maybe-drag. I dunno. I moved both characters as if using a normal drag maneuver, that is to say they both moved 5 feet.

Given that scrolls work like Schrodinger's Cat, the Silence spell would have to last until round 4. Scrolls are either divine or arcane and can only be used by a caster that matches its type (excepting UMD shenanigans). Except modules never bother to define the nature of a scroll's magic in my experience. It's treated as both divine and arcane until an actual PC decides to use it because the spell is on their list, whereupon the possibilities collapse upon themselves and result in either a dead or an alive ca... Sorry, no, either a divine or an arcane scroll. This scroll has to have been made by a bard precisely because Gregor used it, and therefore lasts four rounds. Scrolls are, in a case of very metaphysical mechanics, treated as if in a state of flux until used, whereupon they retroactively were always of whatever type of magic is convenient.

In other news, scrolls are really dumb.

Didiana quietly summarized all pertinent information about their opponent. The deep cut in Matiscio's side told them that she was very deadly. Check. Her own failed attempt at magic revealed that she was at least partly immune to spells. Check. And Gregor's arrows demonstrated that she was supernaturally tough. Check. The armiger glared at Nox.

Oh, you are just a bundle of fun, aren't you?

Despite the distressing gap in power, however, there was no backing out now. The Ravens would just have to persevere and find a way to topple the devil-woman. And Didiana could at least help with the perseverance part. Making the best of Nox's distraction as she lashed out at Gregor, the sorcerer bit down on the cork stopper of her healing potion, and, with some awkward miming to the brawler, managed to get its content into Matiscio.

Potion of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Just healing Matiscio a bit, so Nox at least can't down him in a single hit which she would otherwise be capable of with a good roll judging by the numbers above... Dang, she hits hard. This provokes an AoO, but I'm hoping she doesn't have Combat Reflexes. Also taking a 5 ft step.

Didiana felt her spell run off the woman like water off the proverbial duck's back. Or in this case, like a spell designed for humanoids off something decidedly non-human.

Well. Sh*t.

Of course, the other possibility was Nox simply being too powerful for the lowly cantrip to affect her, but this was no comfort. Either option was bad and left the sorcerer with few options in the face of a far superior physical combatant if the grievous injury Matiscio had already suffered was any indicator. But Didiana Drost was too stubborn for sense or cowardice, so she supposed this was where she found out what use she was in a fight without magic.

Not needing a hand free for complex arcane finger gestures, she pulled out her healing potion, reasoning that someone might be in need of it soon enough. She then hurried over to their opponent, maintaining just enough distance to not have Nox lash out at her.

Move action to draw a potion (both hands are now occupied, the other with the mace), and then moving up next to Matiscio so that I can approach Nox with a 5 ft step next round. Di can at least set up some flanking or provide aid checks or soak up some damage.

"Hey, Robin, I wouldn't threaten the lady when her magicked help is just in the other room." He offers with a nod toward the room with Lout.

"C'mon now, Falcon... You know me better than that. I don't threaten people. I help them see reason."

Didiana wasn't sure why she bothered. After all, the person she was really speaking to was deafened. The armiger would like to threaten Nox, to sow doubt in her mind, to make her hesitate, but this wasn't an option so long as the spell of Silence remained. This limited the sorcerer's slim options further, but at least the fiend-woman would be unable to call for help. Or utilize any spells, however unlikely an option that seemed. Nox didn't exactly look the type.

Alright, Nox. Time to see just how alien your mind really is, Didiana thought as she readied yet another basic mental scrambler. The persistent rumors surrounding their opponent suggested that the group's opponent was of a fiendish nature. The spell she readied was entirely ineffective against such creatures, so if nothing else it might prove whether or not Nox was something more, or rather less, than human.

Just Daze at Nox (still a Will DC 13) and a move.

Five people show up to claim your head and your first thought is to ask about your dog? That's almost... touching.

Or at least it would be if said mutt wasn't also literal hell spawn. Putting aside the dubious virtues of infernal canines and their loving owners, Didiana drew herself up to her full height and tried to appear confident despite her misgivings about the whole situation. She didn't find this difficult; 'playing hardass' aptly summed up her entire career. But the armiger usually had at least something to back up the charade. If not her own arcane power, then the authority of the Hellknights. Right now she had neither. However, she would be a poor hellknight indeed if she let something as meager as 'reality' get her down. So the sorcerer gave the devil-woman her best scowl and opened negotiations.

"Nox. Surrender the woman or die. This is your only warning."

Hellknights were very direct negotiators.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Included a check to see if she'll comply. Hah. As if that's an option...

Happily approve of Gilda taking the headband. She definitely gets the greatest benefit from it. And I believe Matiscio still suffers a -2 to Str. Which you should forcibly fix for the guy if necessary.

"Awww, I saw worse. Sometimes the Calistrians would bring in somethin' for high-payers."

Winking, and curious if she can solicit a grin from the sorceress...

Far from a smile, the armiger's head snapped to attention with a hard scowl at Gilda's words.

"What Calistrians?"

Revealing any connection to a religion banned throughout Cheliax might not be advisable in front of the hellknight hopeful. But she soon deflated. Didiana couldn't manage any righteous indignation right now. She was tired, mentally, physically and magically. At the moment the sorcerer was all tapped out. She couldn't muster lawful indignation any more than she could manage any spell stronger than the average hedge wizard's.

And this concerned her seeing as they were about to confront the lord-mayor's lieutenant.

"That spell's gonna last a while right? We don't gotta worry 'bout it snappin' and him comin' up from behind us later, right?"

"Three hours or so," she answered just a bit wearily. "But he's just..."

How should she put it?

"... influenced. I'm not actually controlling him or anything. Depending on how the big guy feels about her, Nox might be able to free him from the spell if she orders him to attack us. So let's not give her the chance."

Forgive me if I'm remembering this wrong, Gilda, but I think this is the first time we hear of her ties to a Calistrian cult. I recall a few instances of her mentioning it in thought, but nothing otherwise.

Didiana let out a heavy sigh through her nose.

"Yes, Lout. The beat-up, dead looking woman," she said quietly in the vain hope that Matiscio hadn't heard this description of Jaya.

"Lout? I'd like to talk to the devil lady. My friends and I, that is. You don't need to stand guard here while we talk to her. After all, it's just me, right? No, you deserve a little break. Do you see the fruit preserves over there? The salted meat?"

She pointed to the other side of the room.

"It looks good, doesn't it? Go on. Have some. Have as much as you'd like. You've earned it. It's all all right. You go take a break, and we'll talk to the devil lady. We'll tell her what a good guard you've been. And then we'll be right back."

Opposed Cha check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
'Cause I'm guessing that'll be necessary.

Gods, she felt genuinely sorry for the poor wretch. If they weren't forced to kill him somehow themselves, then whatever Asmodeans arrived to investigate this mess surely would for failing to stop them. Allowing him this simple culinary pleasure was the least she could do for him. Of course, she considered sending him further away, perhaps to have a chat with 'that nice man made out of pages', but she didn't dare send him past the other room. The sight of all those diabolists littering the floor just might break the spell.

Well. It seemed there was no way around it. The group would have to confront Nox. Killing the despot's second in command - boy, that wasn't how she had expected the day to end.

Lout?

Didiana raised a quizzical eyebrow. Perhaps she shouldn't be surprised. The giant seemed simple-minded; the name was probably not one he'd chosen for himself. She couldn't imagine the Asmodeans using someone, something, like him as anything other than expendable muscle.

"'Just' Lout? That can't be right. A big man like you surely warrants a proper name, don't you?"

The sorcerer spoke in the pedagogic, perfectly self-evident tone of a primary school teacher.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Lout. My friends and I are just visiting, but what does someone as strong as you do down here?"

The manipulation. The violation of another's mind. Gods, it made her wretch. It was everything she hated about herself. She swallowed. Never mind that right now. Utilizing her infernal birthright for a greater good was the only thing that lent her wretched life meaning. She could do it for the Torrent and she'd manage for the Ravens too.

"Lout, have you seen another woman here? Not one of the redactors. Someone who wasn't supposed to be here. Someone who was caught. Might you know where she is?"

Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

That's another three charges off the wand.

Yup, total bull on my part, I know. Sorry. Wouldn't have done it on an actually important check without asking and shan't do it again. Really just wanted to see if the 'new information makes for retries' rule I see a lot GMs employ held true here. Also it was mostly just a joke about my poor Kn (planes) rolls. After all, had I rolled that Perception check first, then the second, superior, roll would have gone to the Kn (planes) check anyway.

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

I am protesting my own crappy Knowledge (planes) rolls by invoking the not at all RAW ruling made by a Mr James Jacobs on allowing retries of knowledge checks when presented with new information. There are books in this room specifically detailing planar stuff as related to the box and chains? Imma try the check again, dammit!

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 2 = 24 There!

"No idea," Didiana replied to Evander. "But let's avoid touching anything that could send us up there to join him, yeah...?"

The macabre display was as mystifying as it was grotesque. Had the trussed Asmodean perhaps done something wrong and as punishment then had his mutilated corpse strung up on display to act as a warning to the other faithful working here? Seemed a bit extreme, even for devil worshipers. And the spiked chains brought to mind a certain other, torturous, deity instead... Didiana had never been entirely comfortable with Nidal being Ravounel's nearest neighbor.

Nevertheless. she quickly perused the reading material strewn about the room and realized that her passing thought on the Midnight Lord hadn't been too far off.

"Hang on, this..." she started. "Yeah. Yeah, it's the box. The Asmodeans were researching it; the box in the epicenter of the chains - it's a cubic gate. That's a very powerful artifact, but I think... I think this one is broken somehow. It's supposed to lead you to other planes of reality, but this one just leaked out some kyton designed horror from the Plane of Shadows. Suppose they aren't called 'chain devils' for nothing..."

The sorcerer looked up from the books.

"Don't get too close to it. It's still active. The chains will try to ensnare you. We could probably deactivate it... either through magic or just jimmying it; most likely worth a fair amount of gold to the right buyer if we did, but I don't think it's worth it. Not right now. Too risky."

----------

Didiana stopped in her tracks at seeing the ogrekin.

Oh. Well, there's the half-ogre.

Strange as it was to see the creature simply standing here, alone and never having joined the fight just a room over, she could only assume that he was here because he was ordered to be here - a good little soldier refusing to abandon his post. Well, the group hadn't found Jaya yet. And if the half-ogre was standing guard over something, it was a fair guess to say he was watching over Matiscio's lady-friend. The armiger turned to the rest of the Ravens.

"Guys, I'd like to try enchanting him. If a fight with Nox is still awaiting us ahead, we should to take any potential allies of hers out of the equation. I can't help but feel that she'll be enough trouble as is... Charming the half-ogre would render him harmless quickly and painlessly - I can't imagine that brute's strength of mind matches that of his body - but I would need to approach him alone. Fear is a mental barrier; the spell is far more likely to succeed if he doesn't see me as a threat."

If the sorcerer felt any apprehension about confronting someone literally three times her size on her lonesome, she didn't show it. The grey eyes were as steely as ever. But she wouldn't go through with any plan without the group's consent. Too much was at stake for disagreements.

Feel free to tell Di this is a bad use of her last spell if you have a better suggestion. And feel free to call me a cheating ass for the skill checks above, Zek, but if no one speaks up you can assume that Di waltzes up to the guy, no weapon in hand, and smacks Charm Person (Will DC 16) on him as soon as she's within range, which is just 30 ft. I hope it's within reason to suspect a half-ogre's Will to be pretty bad, but assuming the spell works Di just says, in a cordial if not friendly manner, "Hello. My name is Robin. What's yours?"

Figured I'd include the description of the room from way back 'cause if I had to go back to check, I reckon everyone might appreciate a reminder.

The overwhelming stench of rotting flesh fills this wide, table-strewn chamber. A web of barbed chains strangles its way throughout the room’s ceiling, supporting the decayed corpse of a man in drab robes. At the center of the web, suspended above the flagstones by its black iron tendrils, rests a fist-sized, twelve-sided box fashioned from wood and bronze. Wooden cases along the southwestern wall have been smashed and overturned. Small pieces of paper covered with notes are scattered throughout the room, as if someone’s been studying the strange tableau for days.

Didiana was very relieved to see Evander stand. It seemed the writer's days of aggravating her weren't quite over yet, thank the gods. She had considered it before, but the sorcerer really wasn't looking forward to the near inevitable prospect of any one of them dying. Seeing Lia leave had been a relief in many ways. Her mental health was tattered enough without carrying any dead comrades on her conscience, thank you very much.

"What do we do about Nox?"

"Don't know. Frankly, I'm concerned that we've haven't seen her already. Either this place is a lot bigger than we anticipated or she's waiting to ambush us. I say we avoid her if possible. Her and..."

The armiger took a second to count the bodies littering the floor.

"... and the one Asmodean and half-ogre she probably has in tow. Let's find what we came here for and leave."

She looked to Matiscio at the last sentiment. Jaya was the Raven's only interest in this Irori-forsaken hellhole. Fighting Nox was not on their agenda. At least not yet. What the armiger left unsaid was that she wasn't entirely convinced that they could take on the so-called 'she-devil' in their current state. She knew that she certainly didn't have much to offer in a fight against one of Barzillai Thrune's top officers right now. Didiana felt the shivers in her hand that always followed her arcane exertion.

It was that same despondency that drove her to give the room a quick once-over before leaving. Perhaps there was something here to give the Ravens a leg-up on Nox. Or if not that, then at least some explanation for what the Asmodeans were even doing here. Or what was up with the chains.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

Hoping to read the Asmodeans' notes on the box and chains. And are we just hand-waving enough rope to tie and gag nine dudes?

The Asmodean felt rather pleased with himself. The fight was not going ideally, with many of his unconscious or dead brethren littering the floor of the monastery, but it was hard to feel too discouraged after a wallop like that. The intruder with the rapier had dropped like a sack of potatoes before his mighty fists. Surely this was the turning point in the battle. Never mind their losses so far; this was where they unleashed their true power and repelled these intruders. And it was all due to him leading the charge. Yes. He felt strong. He felt righteous.

And he felt a cudgel smack into his left cheek.

Attack: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 2 + 1 = 16

Damage: 1d8 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 1 = 6

"Get the hell away from him, scum."

Even blindsided by momentary pain as he was, the fear made its way into the diabolist's mind. It was her. Taking the place of her fallen comrade was the menacing woman with the helmet and charred black clothing. He had really hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to take her on. She gave him the heebie-jeebies, frankly.

"What did I tell you? What did I tell you about mercy? Have you prayed yet, Asmodean? Are you worried that it's too late? Don't worry. It was always too late."

If the words of this woman had spooked him earlier, then he didn't quite know how to describe what he felt now. Because while he could tell himself that her earlier threats were just part of some scare tactics, he could feel the intensity pouring off her now. Even underneath the mask, even with half her face obscured, he could tell that this woman was angry. Furious, even. It made him believe. It made him believe that she intended to acclimate him to Hell before she sent him there.

Move up to where Evander was standing and smack White in the face with my mace.

As relieved as Didiana was to see the hell-beast fall, she was equally concerned by the damage their own front-line was taking. The sorcerer hadn't seen Evander this bloodied since the tooth fairies. She briefly considered abandoning the whole 'help-Grabapple's-spell-stick-dammit' plan to send a healing potion his way, but forced herself to reconsider. It was not in a hellknight's nature, not in her nature, to take a passive, reactive role in battle. Patching the writer would not win this fight. Gilda's spell could end this in one fell swoop; assisting her was clearly the superior strategy.

Didiana just hoped that it wouldn't leave Evander maimed.

"If any of you scum-sucking troglodytes pretend to piety, pray to your god now! Because you can except more mercy from your god-fiend than from us!"

Intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Just another Intimidate at, let's say, White this time. And reusing a threat 'cause I'm feeling lazy.

I imagine it will target them all and we'll see who has what HD in the descending order of saves. There's like this perfect point in their center to target.. I imagine the hellhound makes it through unscathed as the Asmodeans will gobble up the 4HD real quick.

Oh, that's right! I thought it was the other way around, and whoever had the highest HD would be targeted first. That's why I specified who Di would scare, as I thought the hellhound would probably be the only one targeted if Gilda included it in the area of effect. Well, in that case Di intimidates one of the Asmodeans.

Oh, screw you and your string of excellent saves, Zek. Man...

"Which one?"

Didiana was looking to Gilda, her face scrunched up in irritation. It was more so seeing the entire lot of Asmodeans resist a perfectly good spell than the enormous dog bite she'd won in casting it that annoyed her, but it seemed the group had a second chance at wide-spread instant incapacitation in Mrs Grabapple. The sorcerer recognized the pear-green pearl of power.

"Which of the bastards are you throwing the sleep spell on? The hound or the idiots?"

Making an assumption here, obviously, but given Gilda's previous action I'm guessing that's what she's going for. Wanna give this spell the best possible chance of working given these guys' very decent Will save.

"Alright," the armiger said at the older woman's response. "I'll see if I can give you a distraction..."

If Gilda's spell includes the hellhound:
"HEY! Itsi redreyii en kailfernum igiirtekh. Itsi hun eukfaah sromanaht mendafa’. Itsi eukseepowaa’ maa’. Etsi wesrat khedekareb emi. Emi nebratronak nüllaan. Maa’. Etsi an nat ashgagna non dünasse. Itsi maa’ ebdee nüllaan! Emi nebratronak!"

Didiana suddenly started shouting down the diabolic dog in a harsh, very condemning tone, in an odd multi-syllabic language of sharp consonants and lilting vowels. I don't suppose this is a good time to discuss how you want to handle Infernal, Zek?

If Gilda's spell does not includes the hellhound:
"If any of you scum-sucking troglodytes pretend to piety, pray to your god now! Because you can except more mercy from your god-fiend than from us!" Let's say this one is directed at... I dunno, Orange.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

I'll just include here, Zek, that the DC for shaking a target is 10 + Hit Dice + Wis modifier. The duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which Di beat the DC. And shaken of course includes a -2 to saving throws...

A little closer...

The floodgates had been opened and Didiana watched as the veritable cascade of Asmodeans came running down the hallway, intent on the Raven's lives. That perfectly narrow hallway.

C'mon. Just a little closer...

She clutched the scroll in her hand harder as the first diabolist stepped over his unconscious comrade. They were so close. So bunched up. 'Control the terrain', Gregor had said. 'Use the hallway to our advantage' indeed, Didiana thought. The nearest Asmodean took a swipe at Evander.

There. Perfect.

The sorcerer dashed out of her cosy corridor, through both friend and foe, to get to the vantage point she needed if this was to work. Fist and burning maw came at her both, but a little pain would be a small price to pay should this work. Once in position she held aloft the unfurled scroll and read it aloud, facing the enemy horde. An explosion of glittering particles filled the hallway and covered every one of the Asmodeans, hellhound included, just narrowly missing Evander.

Acrobatics to avoid AoO: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Yeah, I know. Not gonna work. Just included it for propriety's sake.

Caster level check (scroll of Glitterdust, DC 4): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

I'm gonna utilize that ruling you just did with corners in the discussion thread, Zek, and move Di down and through Evander's square. This will of course provoke AoO from both Yellow and the hellhound, but screw it; the only other option for making this work would be casting in melee, and I'm not risking that. I'm not entirely sure Di even has to make a caster level check to use the scroll, given that she technically fulfills every requirement of using it, except that as a Sorc she doesn't have 2nd lv. spells yet, but I've included the check above regardless. Anyway, Glitterdust's 10 ft. radius spread hits all the baddies in their 20 ft. conga line. It should be a DC 13 Will save unless I've missed something.

“Intruders! Come quick! We need aid!”

Didiana frowned at hearing the Asmodean, and not because she was a stickler for the precise definition of 'intruder'. Trouble was coming their way. Anticipating the oncoming wave of opponents, the sorcerer retrieved the scroll case hanging by her belt. Magic covering a wide area would come in handy. Even in doing this, she concentrated and prepared the simple mental scrambling spell that had served her so well in the past. It would have no effect on the alien mind of the hellhound, but given her positioning she could toss it at whoever passed by trying to get at Evander.

Move action to retrieve the scroll of Glitterdust and a readied Daze at the first enemy humanoid to come into sight. DC is still Will 13. Failure results in the dazed condition.

My name isn't GM Zek, but I found this: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2rh00&page=4?Does-an-Alchemist-drinking-an- extract-provoke#173

Extracts do apparently provoke AoO.

Didiana cursed her own surreptitious slip-up as she watched the situation in the monastery go to hell in a handbasket. While a fight had perhaps been inevitable, she wished that it could at least have been on their terms. Terms that would absolutely not include any one member of the team fighting alone, so the armiger rushed over to Evander. She was less than pleased by what she saw there.

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

"Hellhound! Don't group up near it! It breathes fire!"

If that beast was here, then its master was no doubt soon to follow, along with the rest of the veritable battalion stationed down here. With this in mind Didiana decided that thinning the enemy herd was imperative and focused her arcane power into her hand.

MM damage: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (2, 3) + 4 = 9

The magical volley sent strands of Evander's hair flying as the two missiles whizzed past him to crash into the Asmodean directly in front of him.

Move action and standard for Magic Missile against Green. And the swashbuckler's parry & riposte is indeed cray-cray. Dang.

He shakes his head to Didiana's interpretation, "He did not say as much."

Didiana's face conveyed the quiet frustration of every tutor to an unwilling student.

"No, Wa... *sigh* Falcon, I know he didn't say as much, but therein lies the whole point. He was being subtle. The letter of the law only allowed him to insinuate what he would have us do to the newly defined actual intruders at... Never mind. Not the time."

A being of perfect law and order deigned to hint and imply its feelings and Gregor Ward failed to catch it. If that wasn't perfectly emblematic of the man, she didn't know what was. But it didn't matter any which way. They were in agreement not to fight the Asmodeans unless attacked first, so they could proceed.

And Didiana proceeded straight to fumbling her best attempt at stealth, used as she was to righteously kicking down doors whilst screaming arrest warrants.

"I think the scrivenite gave us full carte blanche to trash the Asmodeans, what with asking us to 'punish the actual intruders.' But yeah - I'm all for doing this as quietly and quickly as possible."

Eager as she was to see the diabolists get their just comeuppance, as eager as any hellknight could be, Didiana had her priorities straight. This was about Jaya. Getting the woman out of here safe and sound took precedence over punishing the guilty in this instance. And that sentiment was entirely in keeping with her tenets. After all, abductions were the Torrent's specialty.

Assuming we're moving ahead all stealthily, I'm just gonna go ahead and... sigh, muck this up.

Stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Should someone more confident in their stealth try checking out those three (?) rooms along the hallway first?

Bleh. More scrolls. Not that I should be complaining. The whole reason I wanted to distribute them now is that I fear we're going to need every bullet in the chamber...

Alright, Doom and Inflict are kindling. You're right, Gilda. Damn spells aren't worth the papyrus they're written on. I'm gonna keep the Cause Fear though. Just to be on the safe side. Will toss it onto the sell pile as soon as we're out of the monastery, but I really want every advantage we can get right now.

Remove Fear goes to Gilda. As for the new-comers, Air Bubble and Identify don't have a whole lot of pertinence in our current situation, but they're by no means bad spells. I'm adding them to Di's inventory as she can use both. We'll find a use for them sooner or later. I was however shocked (shocked, I tell you!) when I saw that Silence isn't on the Sorc/Wiz list. Always thought it was. Gregor, as resident Bard it's all yours, even if its spell level is beyond you right now. I've taken the liberty of adding it to your inventory.

The scroll of Dispel Magic is still up in the air, but equip that Pear of Power ASAP, Gilda! Every bullet in the chamber! Besides, you're the only one of us who can use it. And would you look at that, the equivalent item for spontaneous casters is twice as costly. They're weren't kidding when they said 3.5 is alive and well. That legacy hate-boner for the Sorc is still going strong...

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Would you look at that? Di actually finds something.

Didiana had to look away at the discovery of the portrait and realizing who it depicted.

Oh gods dammit... Keep it together, Di. Not the time for emotional outbursts. Keep it in check...

She let out a heavy sigh. The sight of the happy little family reminded her of what the group would have to tell Rexus upon their return. She wasn't looking forward to it. The nobleman would be devastated.

Is the portrait enormous, Zek, or could it fit into a backpack? 'Cause if so, Di takes it with us.

At least the painting confirmed that Rexus's mother had been some sort of leader within the monastery. This must have been her private cell. The facts fit. The cell was somewhat larger and grander than the other ones. Well, except for this one wall. Was that a crack going through it...?

Didiana surprised herself as she recognized the wall for what it was: a secret door.

"Guys? Secret door."

Also, I can't wait for the fourth part of Who Gets the Scrolls. I hear it's a real nail-biter.

Heeello and welcome back to Who Gets the Scrolls! I'm your host, Didiana Drost, and today we figure out...

*audience chimes in*

WHO! GETS! THE! SCROLLS!

That's right, everybody. Let's meet our lucky contestants. Contestant no.1 is the lovely Gilda Grabapple! Gilda enjoys raising rodent/canine abominations and is a divine caster. A shaman, ladies and gentlemen! Contestant no.2 is Gregor Ward. This ex-dottari is new to the casting game, but is raring to try out his brand spanking new bard level! Wish him the best of luck, folks! And our third and final contestant is... why, it's Didiana Drost! Di is a basket case in recovery and a sorcerer! They're known for a mighty fine spell list, but let's see how she does.

Now let's look at our prizes. What's that behind door number 1?

And behind door no.2?

Door! Number! Thrrrrree!

We're almost there, gentle viewer! Give us door number four!

Final door, folks! Door number five!

That's all we have for you tonight, folks, but we'll be back soon enough with another rousing round of Who Get's the Scrolls!
*Outro starts blaring...*

The only thing that surprised Didiana more than finding a use for her (frankly disconcertingly) comprehensive knowledge of criminal law in the fight against Thrune, was seeing it actually work. It took her just a second too long to properly digest the scrivenite's words. When it became obvious that the group was free to enter, she gave the outsider a little nod of appreciation.

"... Thank you, Yilliv."

She walked straight for the door forward, although not before sending a satisfied glance over to Gregor. Apparently being finicky had been the way to go.

"And let's try to avoid causing harm. Otherwise we may lose our exemption."

"Agreed. We should find Jaya and leave. With the Irorans destroyed there is nothing else for us here anyway."

Even with this said, the sorcerer somehow doubted finding Matiscio's lady-friend would be quite so simple.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

A light sigh escaped Didiana as she had to admit that the magical mechanics behind the scrivenite's summoning were beyond her, even with the being going so far as to specify the particular spell. But it was for that same reason she doubted that Azvernathi stood behind it. That pathetic wretch could barely command his own men, never mind an outsider. Surely Yilliv's master was someone more capable. Besides, the cleric had failed to mention the being despite having no problem naming every other obstacle at the heart of the monastery; obstacles that Yilliv could now confirm. Most likely he really had never been down here.

Didiana suppressed another, heavier, sigh as, judging by the scrivenite's words, the only way past it was through violence. It was evidently perfectly aware of who and what its master represented, and no amount of persuasion would entice it to defect. This was the bed the outsider had made and it was ready to lie in it, albeit without enthusiasm. Only one avenue for circumventing a fight seemed to remain, and it was the one Gregor was already heading down: convince the outsider that the group were not, by the definition of the summoner agreement, 'intruders' in the monastery.

This was not a tactic the sorcerer had much faith in. Really, it didn't amount to anything more than arguing semantics. It was nitpicky. Anal, even. But then again, perhaps the idea held some small potential precisely because it was such a fussy argument. She thought back to the Wasp Nest, where upon finding the Silver Raven traitor she had railed on about the nature of devils, and how the imp in question deserved no mercy. How it was literally made out of evil. The creature in front of the group now was no different. Where the imp was composed out of manifested wickedness, the scrivenite was a being of absolute order and law. If anyone cared about the nitty-gritty of agreements and the wording of laws, it was the residents of Axiom. And funnily enough she knew a thing or two about local legislation herself.

Lore (criminal law): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

"The key here, is to define intruder."

"Falcon, may I?"

The armiger had a funny look in her eyes, like she was strangely at ease. Like a farmer on her own acres.

"The 1277 2nd Restatement of the Law on torts, issued by the Chelaxian Law Institute, § 652B is titled Intrusion Upon Seclusion. It defines four criteria which make up an invasion upon privacy and define an intruder. Firstly, 'the defendant, without authorization, must have intentionally invaded the private affairs of the plaintiff.' This is not the case here as we, the defendants, came to the museum above without prior knowledge of its current occupied state. Secondly, 'the invasion must be offensive to a reasonable person.' I trust that with your knowledge of your master's ways, you will agree that our motivations for being here are both understandable and justified, and that you have found us entirely agreeable and nonviolent in disposition. Thirdly, 'the matter that the defendant intruded upon must involve a private matter.' This is patently and obviously false; given our recent change in government, the actions your masters have taken here are of pivotal interest to every lawful resident of the city of Kintargo and the surrounding archduchy, arguably the entire nation. Fourthly and finally, 'the intrusion must have caused suffering, physical or mental, to the plaintiff.' To this I posit that we are here to retrieve a compatriot. We have not yet harmed any person within the Many-Steps Monastery, and would much prefer to leave without having done so. I therefore insist that according to § 652B of the 1277 2nd Restatement of the Law on torts we are not, by the law of our lands, intruders."

Didiana spoke with the speed and precision of a well-oiled clockwork monstrosity.

"Now, some might counter my case by pointing to the absolute monarchy of our nation and argue that the state and any agents directly appointed by the state are effectively exempt from the law. This is true. The government can, in theory, do whatever it pleases. But as you yourself have attested to, Yilliv, the occupying force of the monastery are not government agents. They are agents of the church of Asmodeus. And the church is certainly not above our laws. Historically, the regime has looked upon the church's affairs with special scrutiny. Again, I invite you to read our minds should you doubt anything I have said."

The sorcerer took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if the scrivenite bought her spiel; heck, she wasn't sure she bought it herself, but she did know that not a word of it was untrue. While diabolism was certainly the state-sanctioned official faith of the nation, the affairs of church and state in Cheliax were kept separate via wrought-iron fence guarded by dire tigers. The Thrunes were no fools. They hadn't sold Cheliax to Hell in addition to their souls. They sold their souls so that Cheliax was theirs. The royal family had no intent of ceding any more power to the church than absolutely necessary.

If anyone's curious, I do actually look up legal documents whenever Di does her whole 'I know law-fu' thing. The things you end up researching for certain characters...

Didiana's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the outsider's words.

"Are we to understand that you were summoned and subsequently forced into this position by agents of Asmodeus?"

She had trouble following the logic of this, albeit not for quite the same reasons as Evander. Although it was all far beyond her, the sorcerer knew that sufficiently powerful spell casters could bind planar creatures to their will. The scrivenite could very well have no choice in the matter, as it claimed. No, what she couldn't understand was the motivation of said summoner. You set out to plunder a library so to assist, you... summon a creature sworn to preserve knowledge? It didn't make any sense.

"Yilliv, is it not your purpose to record and safeguard vital information? This assignment you're on seems to have you going against your nature, something I wasn't even aware the planar beings were capable of. If whoever you serve has somehow mislead you, I can assure you that the Asmodeans' interests do not align with those of Axis. They are here to erase any facts inconvenient for them. Read my mind and see the state of our nation if you doubt me. I know you have the capability."

Truthfully, the armiger was uncomfortable with anyone fumbling about in her head, well aware of what a mess it truly was, but she was just as disinterested in fighting the scrivenite as it was them. And if conflict was inevitable, well, then at least she would have made the being waste some of its spell capabilities on some harmless mind-reading.

While that might have been true for your game, I'm not sure that's the case 'canonically' for the Orders. I imagine they mostly use the spell specifically designed for their trials or even this thing, apparently also made for the purpose.

As for style feats, Outslug Style is hilarious. Don't know if Matiscio would find it useful, and it certainly can't compete with some other styles for raw damage, but the utility of 10' reach coupled with 10' step (as opposed to a 5' step) is crazy. Every attack is a full-round attack when you effectively threaten any enemy within 20 ft.

You know, I was gonna be all pessimistic and point out that even if Di floated outside of range with Levitate, the devil's resistances would limit my options for damage to Magic Missile (which would have to contend with their very respectable spell resistance) or Shocking Grasp (which would force me into melee).

But then I came across one of the players in the link using Telekinetic Volley. And yeah, that could totally work. Picking up spells (my very, very limited spells) solely for getting through the hellknight trial irks me, but couple that one with some silver arrows? Decent damage, no damage resistance, no spell resistance. Thanks, man. Think I might go with that one.

Looks like a good game, by the by. Love me some hellknights.

I'd love to hear where everyone is taking their character, yeah. My plan is to keep picking up armor proficiencies to fulfill that oxymoronic dream of an arcane caster in fullplate, and then getting killed by a devil in solo combat trying to qualify for the hellknight prestige class. 'Cause no way is the sorc with delayed spell levels surviving in melee combat with a bearded devil.

Have a good one, Zek. Go recharge those batteries.